Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1887-03-31

III D>pN. w Is. Mdi'ii ., HNS.- u :.
White, Esq, General Passenger Agent
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe X. r.,
Topeka, Kan.-Iear SIR: ] enclose
herewith annual pass No. OBS for
self ami family over your justly cele-
brated road during the year 1887. I
also return your photograph and the
letters you have written me during the
past five years. Will you kindly re-
turn mine, And so this brief and beau
tiful experience is to end, and each of
us must go his own way hereafter.
Alas.
TO YOU this may bc easy, but it
brings II parg to my heart which your
gentle letter OF the 1st inst. cannot
wholly alleviate.
Whenever hereafter you look upon
this tear-specklei pass will you think
OF me- Remember that you ever east
me from you and that am wandering
across the bleak aud wind swept plains
sadly enumerating the ties on the way
to eternity.
! do not say this to reprOach you,
for ] fear that you care for another,
and SO we could not be happy again
together. But oh. do you pause to
fully comprehend the pang it costs
me to return this pleasant faced little
pass with its conditions on the back?
Could you see me even now, as ] write
these lines, turning away ever and
anon, laying aside my trembling pen
to 60 and sit by the CRATE and shudder
and weep ard put out the fire with my
| LII ln.n,.t Svn.rl1 snff on
and you would say: "Return, q, wan
derer. return!'
You do not say in your letter that ]
have been false to you or that | have
ever grown cold. You do not charge
me with iniidelity or failure t o provide.
You simply say that it would be better
for each to go his several ways. for
getting that my several ways are pass
ing away, passing away.
1t is all well eiiougl, for you to talk
about going your several ways. You
have every facility for doing so, but
with me it is different. Several years
ago large northwestern cyclone and
myself tried to pass each other on the
same track. When the wrccking crew
found me ] was in the crotch OF u
butternut tree, with broken leg.
Since that time ! have walked with
great difficulty, and to go my several
ways has been n very TseriOus matter
with me. But do not want you to
think that ! am murmuring. ] accept
my doom calmly, yet with slight
tinyc of unavailing regret.
Some time, perhaps, in the middle
of the dark and angry night, when the
cold blasts wall through the telegraph
wires and the crashing sleet rushes
with wild and impetuOus fury against
the windows of your special ear, AZ
as you lie warmly enscOnced i'm your
voluptuOus berth and hear the pitt
less winds with hoarse and croupy
mOans chase each other around the
Kansas haystacks or shrek wildly
away rs they light out for their cheer
less homes in the Bad Lands, will you
not think Of me as grOpe on blindly
through the keen and pitiless blasts,
stumbling over cattle guards, falling
into culverts, and heating out my
rare young brains against your rough
right OF way, will you not think OF
me? do not ask much OF you, but ]
do ask this as we separate forever.
AS you whiz by me do not treat me
with cOntumely, or throw crackers at
me when have meekly turned out to
let your naughty old train go by.
have always spoken of you in the
highest terms, and hope you will do
| the same of me.
Life is short at the best, and it is
especially so for those who have to
walk. Walking has already shortened
my life "A great deal, and ! wouldn't be
surprised ii the exposure and buniOns
of the year 1887 carried me off, leav-
ing gap i'm American literature that
will look like new cellar.
Should any of your engineers Oh
trackmen find me frozen in cut next
winter, when the grass gets short and
the nights get long, will you kindly
ask him to report :he brand to yOui
auditor and instruct him to allow IN.
family what he thinks would he right
hate to write to you in this detected
manner, but you cannot understand
how heavy my heart is to-day as
pen these lines.
| wish you and Your beautiful road
unmitigated success. 1t lisa good road
for h I'VE passed over it and enjoyet
it. How different the country vii
look to me as go bounding from til
to tie, slowly repeating to myself tin
trite remark once made by the gov
ernor of North Carolina to the execu
tive of South Carolina.
; hope you may never know what j
is to pull into the quaint little city o
Ia Junta Will, the dust OF many ;
mileupOn you and the thirst of long
uneventful Journey in your throat.
hope that congress will not pass IA Law
next year which will make it Il felon,
for a railroad man to say gosh with
out n permit. I hope that your lii
will be chuck full OF hlirrah ami halle
lujah, even if mine should he blank an,
joyless.
Can do your road any good, eithe
ut home or abroad? tan ] he OF SER
vice to you over your right -Of-way, b.
collecting bolts, nuts, old iron, O
other bric-a-brac? ! would he glad ta
influence immigration or pull weed
between the rails if you would he will
ing to regard me ~ an cmplOye.
| will now take a last look at th'
fair. young features of your pass be
fore finally sealing this letter. How
sad to see an annual pass cut down il
life's young morning, ere One-fOurth q
it's race has been rum How touchftl
to part from it forever
What sad Year thisl,a been so tar
Earthquakes. fires, storms, railwa!